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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Expression of inflammatory molecules and associations with BMI in children
George V Z Dedoussis1, Alexandra Kapiri, Anastasia Samara
1Department of Dietetics-Nutrition, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece. dedousi@hua.gr
Insights
Adipokine gene expression in children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Molecular Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Adipose tissue releases adipokines involved in inflammatory pathways.
- Adipokine expression in children's adipose tissue and PBMCs is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate adipokine expression in adipose tissue and PBMCs in healthy children.
- To explore correlations between adipokine expression and body mass index (BMI).
Main Methods:
- Real-time quantitative PCR was used to measure gene expression of TNF-alpha, IL-6, and leptin.
- Serum levels of these adipokines were also measured.
- Study included 31 healthy children (10.9 ± 1.8 years; BMI 19.3 ± 3.5 kg/m²).
Main Results:
- BMI positively correlated with leptin gene expression in adipose tissue and serum leptin levels.
- Leptin and TNF-alpha gene expression in adipose tissue correlated with their respective serum levels.
- Positive correlations were observed between TNF-alpha and IL-6 expression in PBMCs.
Conclusions:
- Significant correlations exist between adipokine gene expression in adipose tissue and PBMCs in children.
- These findings suggest shared molecular pathways linking adipokines to childhood obesity.
Background:
Adipose tissue secrets several adipokines that have been proposed to be enrolled in many inflammatory pathways. Our aim was to investigate the adipokine expression in adipose tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in children.
Materials And Methods:
Thirty-one (17 males and 14 females) healthy children aged 10.9 +/- 1.8 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 19.3 +/- 3.5 kg m(-2) were enrolled. Adipokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6 and leptin) gene expression was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR in adipose tissue and PBMCs from the same children. Their serum levels were also measured.
Results:
BMI was positively correlated with leptin gene expression in adipose tissue and with leptin serum levels (beta = 0.476, P = 0.006 and beta = 0.576, P = 0.003 respectively). Leptin's serum levels were positively correlated with leptin gene expression in adipose tissue (beta = 0.462, P = 0.02). Adipose tissue gene expression of leptin and TNF-alpha and serum leptin and TNF-alpha serum levels were positively correlated (beta = 0.752, P < 0.001, beta = 0.311 and P = 0.015 respectively). In PBMCs, a positive correlation between TNF-alpha and IL-6 expression was found (beta = 0.526, P = 0.042).
Conclusion:
We demonstrated powerful correlations of adipokines gene expression in adipose tissue and PBMCs in children, underlying that these molecules share common pathways related to childhood obesity.
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